Tamil numerals

Numeral system

The Tamil language has number words and dedicated symbols for them in the Tamil script.

Old Tamil possesses a special numerical character for zero (see Old Tamil numerals below), which is read as (literally, no/nothing); yet Modern Tamil renounces the use of its native character and uses the Indian symbol '0' for Shunya meaning nothingness in Indic thought. Modern Tamil words for zero include சுழியம் or பூஜ்ஜியம் .

Proposals to encode Tamil fractions and symbols to Unicode were submitted. As of version 12.0, Tamil characters used for fractional values in traditional accounting practices were added to the Unicode Standard.

Decimal point is called புள்ளி in Tamil. For example, 1.1 would be read as ஒன்று புள்ளி ஒன்று In Sri Lankan Tamil, Thasam தசம்.

Percentage is known as விழுக்காடு in Tamil or சதவீதம் These words are simply added after a number to form percentages. For instance, four percent is நான்கு சதவீதம் or நான்கு விழுக்காடு Percentage symbol (%) is also recognised and used.

English Tamil Transliteration Single ஒற்றை Pair இரட்டை Reproductives ௺ + வினைச்சொல் Numeric prefix + noun* Single (pillar), double (pillar) ஒருக்(கால்), இருக்(கால்) , * Distributives ௺ + முறை Numeric prefix + Once, twice ஒருமுறை, இருமுறை ,

As always, when blending two words into one, an unvoiced form of the consonant as the one that the second starts with, is placed in between to blend.

This song is a list of each number with a concept its primarily associated with. Tamil Transliteration English ஒரு குலம் One race ஈரினம் Two sexesmale (ஆண், ), female (பெண், ) முத்தமிழ் Three sections of Tamilliterature (இயல், ), music (இசை, ), and drama (நாடகம், ) நான்மறை Four scriptures ஐம்புலன் Five senses அறுசுவை Six tastessweet , pungent , bitter , sour , salty , and astringent ஏழிசை Seven musical notes (, , , , , , ) எண் பக்கம் Eight directionseast , west , north , south , south west , south east , north west , and north east நவமணிகள் Nine gemsdiamond (வைரம், ), emerald (மரகதம், ), blue sapphire (நீலம், ), garnet (கோமேதகம், ), red coral (பவளம், ), ruby (மாணிக்கம், ), pearl (முத்து, ), topaz (புட்பராகம், ), and cat's eye (வைடூரியம், ). தொன்மெய்ப்பாடு Also known as as per the dance expressions. These are joyful , humour , cries , innocent , proud , fear , disgust , wonder , and tranquility .

Before the Government of India unveiled as the new rupee symbol, people in Tamil Nadu used the Tamil letter ௹ as the symbol. This symbol continues to be used occasionally as rupee symbol by Indian Tamils. It is also used by Tamils in Sri Lanka. The symbol ௳ is also known as the , a symbol that most Tamil Hindus will start off any auspicious document with. It is written to invoke the god , known otherwise as Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles.